Beginner grammarhttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/taxonomy/term/1620/all
enConjunctions: and, or, but, so, because and althoughhttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/conjunctions-or-so-because-although
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<label>Language </label>
English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/conjunctions.png?itok=qYdFBI0x"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/conjunctions-or-so-because-although"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/conjunctions.png?itok=qYdFBI0x" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use words called <em>conjunctions</em>, like <em>and</em>, <em>or</em>, <em>but</em>, <em>because </em>and<em> although,</em> to join two parts of sentences. Conjunctions can be used to give more information, give alternatives, give reasons, give results or give unexpected information.</strong></p>
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<p>We use <em>and,</em> <em>or</em> and<em> but </em>to connect two parts of sentences which are similar in grammatical status.</p>
<p><em>Do you want chocolate, strawberry <strong>or </strong>vanilla?</em> (joining words)<br /><em>Amy's dad is taking us on Saturday morning, <strong>and</strong> he's offered to bring us home again on Sunday.</em> (joining clauses)</p>
<p>We use <em>and</em><span> </span> for adding information, <em>or</em> for giving alternatives and <em>but</em> for unexpected or different information.<span> </span></p>
<p><em>I'm OK for food, dance <span> </span><strong>and</strong><span> </span> music, <strong>and</strong> I'm having a wonderful time.<br />
There's a reggae band from Jamaica <strong>or</strong> a Russian electro-pop group on the other stage.<br />
She’d like to go <strong>but</strong> she can’t.</em></p>
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<p>Can we use these words at the beginning of a sentence?</p>
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<p>We don’t usually use conjunctions to start sentences when we’re writing, but people do when they’re speaking.</p>
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<p>Or when they’re chatting on the internet?</p>
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<p>Yes. There are a lot more conjunctions which we use to connect one clause with another clause. For example: <em>because,</em> for giving reasons, <em>so</em>, for talking about results or purposes, and <em>although</em>, for unexpected or different information.<span> </span></p>
<p><em>I'd like to see that Irish band, <strong>because</strong> Celtic music is pretty cool.</em><br />
(the second clause explains <em>the reason</em> Alfie wants to see the Irish band)</p>
<p><em><strong>Although</strong> he doesn’t like camping, he goes to lots of music festivals.</em><br />
(the speaker thinks it’s <em>unusual</em> to go to music festivals if you don’t like camping)</p>
<p><em>... we'll be there by 12. <strong>Although</strong> we have to put up our tents too.</em><br />
(the information in the second sentence is different to, and <em>contrasts</em>, the information in the first sentence)</p>
<p><em>It's one of those cars for seven people, <strong>so</strong> there's plenty of room.</em><br />
(the second clause shows <em>the result</em> of the first clause)</p>
<p><em>We need to arrive early <strong>so </strong>(that) we can get a good place.</em><br />
(the second clause shows <em>the purpose</em> of the first clause; <em>that</em> is optional)</p>
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<p>With that <em>although</em> sentence, can you put the clauses in a different order?</p>
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<p>Yes, both orders are possible.</p>
<p><em>He goes to lots of music festivals, <strong>although</strong> he doesn’t like camping.</em></p>
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<p>Can you also say “<em>even though</em> he doesn’t like camping”?</p>
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<p>Yes, that means the same thing. There are a lot more conjunctions, but that’s enough for today.</p>
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<p>But …</p>
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<p>No “buts”. It’s better to look at a small amount at a time …</p>
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<p><em>So</em> that I can remember it?</p>
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<p>Exactly.</p>
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</div></div></div>Tue, 01 Oct 2013 07:58:03 +0000JoEditor1018 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnThe definite articlehttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/definite-article
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English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/the-definite-article.png?itok=FInh-TUx"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/definite-article"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/the-definite-article.png?itok=FInh-TUx" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use <em>the</em>, the definite article, before a singular or plural noun. We use <em>the</em> to show people that they know (or they will soon know) what we are talking about.</strong></p>
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<p>Can you explain with examples?</p>
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<p>Of course. The definite article, <em>the</em>, can refer backwards in a conversation or text to something already mentioned.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>… my sister there hid a little parcel in my suitcase, so when I was unpacking<strong> the</strong> case I had a really cool surprise ...</em></p>
<p>It can also refer forwards to something which is going to be mentioned or explained.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Could you bring me <strong>the</strong> knife <u>which you gave me</u>?<br /><strong>The</strong> friend of hers <u>who's looking after us</u> ... </em></p>
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<p>Does <em>the</em> always refer backwards or forwards?</p>
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<p>No, it can also refer to shared knowledge or general knowledge. Both the listener and the speaker (or the writer and the reader) know what is being referred to.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>But I'll try to connect from <strong>the</strong> hotel every evening.<br />
I think Mum is hoping to see George Clooney at <strong>the</strong> bus stop.</em></p>
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<p>OK, I understand those rules, but I’ve seen lists of different uses of <em>the</em>.</p>
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<p>All right, I can give more specific examples, but they fit into the three areas I’ve given you. We use<em> the</em> when there is only one of something (in the world, the country, your town, the house, etc.), and we know what it is.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>And is <strong>the</strong> internet connection good?<br />
They're like ... like <strong>the</strong> poster you've got in your room, Daisy.</em></p>
<p>We use <em>the</em> with superlatives – again, we are talking about one thing.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>The</strong> chocolate here is <strong>the</strong> best in <strong>the</strong> world.</em></p>
<p>With some adjectives which refer to one thing – for example <em>first</em>, <em>last</em>, <em>next </em>– we also use <em>the</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>… this is <strong>the</strong> third day ...</em></p>
<p>When referring forwards, we often use a relative clause.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>That’s<strong> the</strong> friend who is looking after us.</em></p>
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<p>Isn’t <em>the</em> used with musical instruments, like '<em>I play <strong>the</strong> guitar</em>'?</p>
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<p>Yes, we sometimes use <em>the</em> in fixed expressions for musical instruments, entertainment and transport.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>He plays <strong>the</strong> piano brilliantly. <br />
They’re going to <strong>the</strong> opera tonight. (also: <strong>the</strong> cinema, <strong>the</strong> football, <strong>the</strong> shops, etc.)<br />
We took a taxi to<strong> the</strong> airport. (also: <strong>the</strong> bus stop, <strong>the</strong> station, etc.)</em></p>
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<p>So even if there are three cinemas in my town, I would still say '<em>I went to <strong>the</strong> cinema last night</em>'?</p>
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<p>Yes, you would. We also sometimes use <em>the</em> to talk about groups of people or types of animals or things in general.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>The unemployed</strong> are asking for more help from <strong>the government</strong>. (also: <strong>the poor</strong>, <strong>the old</strong>, <strong>the homeless</strong>, <strong>the deaf</strong>, etc.)<br /><strong>The wolf </strong>is the largest member of the dog family. (formal)<br /><strong>The Swiss watch</strong> is an amazing piece of engineering.</em></p>
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<p>And we can use <em>the</em> with nationalities, like '<em><strong>The Swiss</strong> make great chocolate</em>'?</p>
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<p>Yes, that’s right. You're good at this! </p>
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<p>What about talking about things in general? Can I say '<em>The</em> life is very expensive' or 'I love <em>the</em> sport'?</p>
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<p>No, we don’t use the definite article to generalise about abstract things. You’d say: '<em>Life is very expensive</em>' and '<em>I love sport</em>'. If we’re generalising about things we usually use the plural form (for countable nouns) or singular (uncountable nouns).</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>She’s frightened of spiders. </em>(= spiders in general)<br /><em>Lasagne is delicious! </em>(= lasagne in general)<br /><em>Thanks for dinner. The lasagne was incredible! </em>(= one particular lasagne)</p>
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<p>But you used '<em>the wolf</em>' earlier to talk about wolves in general.</p>
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<p>Yes, but that was more formal language, for example what you would read in an encyclopaedia. We usually use no article to generalise.</p>
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<p>What about geography words? Words for rivers and seas and things?</p>
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<p style="margin-left:40px">Ah, you mean proper nouns or names of things. Here are some categories where we use <em>the</em>, with examples:<br /><em>Rivers: the Thames<br />
Mountain ranges: the Alps<br />
Oceans and seas: the Pacific / the Red Sea<br />
Deserts: the Sahara<br />
Islands (groups): the Bahamas<br />
Countries if + political term / plural: the UK / the USA / the United Arab Emirates<br />
Political institutions: the Government / the Monarchy<br />
Newspapers (usually part of the title): The Times / The Guardian<br />
Cinemas / theatres / hotels: the Odeon / the Holiday Inn</em></p>
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<p>So we don't use <em>the</em> before lakes, forests, cities or towns?</p>
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<p>No, not usually. And not usually before streets in towns.</p>
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<p>Well, there’s more to <em>the</em> definite article than meets <em>the</em> eye!</p>
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<p>Mm, that reminds me, <em>more than meets the eye</em> – there are a lot of idioms with <em>the</em> too. For another time!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:20:23 +0000JoEditor1017 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnPrepositions of timehttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/prepositions-time
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English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/prepositions-of-time.png?itok=FWt_PtcR"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/prepositions-time"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/prepositions-of-time.png?itok=FWt_PtcR" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use many different prepositions for talking about time. Here we are looking at: <em>in</em>, <em>on</em>, <em>at</em>, <em>during</em> and <em>for</em>.</strong></p>
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<p>We use <em>in</em>, <em>on</em> and <em>at</em> for lots of different times. Here’s a table comparing the uses:</p>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:500px"><tr><td>in</td>
<td>on</td>
<td>at</td>
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<p><strong>Months</strong>: in January / in April<br /><strong>Seasons</strong>: in spring / in winter<br /><strong>Years</strong>: in 1984 / in 2015<br /><strong>Centuries</strong>: in the 20th century<br /><strong>Times of day</strong>: in the morning / in the evening<br /><strong>Longer periods of time</strong>: in the past / in the 1990s / in the holidays</p>
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<p><strong>Days of the week</strong>: on Monday<br /><strong>Days + parts of days</strong>: on Tuesday afternoon / on Saturday mornings<br /><strong>Dates</strong>: on November 22nd<br /><strong>Special days</strong>: on my birthday / on New Year’s Eve</p>
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<p><strong>Clock times</strong>: at 7.30 a.m. / at 5 o’clock<br /><strong>Festivals</strong>: at Christmas / at Easter<br /><strong>Exceptions</strong>: at night / at the weekend</p>
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<p>Wow! That’s a lot of uses! So I have to learn all those?</p>
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<p>Yes, but you probably know most of them, don’t you?</p>
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<p>Yes, maybe … Is that all of them? I mean, are there any exceptions?</p>
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<p>Well, sometimes we don’t use a preposition of time, for example after<em> next</em>/<em>this</em>/<em>last</em>/<em>every</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>We go skateboarding every Saturday afternoon.<br />
I’ll see you next Friday.</em></p>
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<p>Mm, but I could also say: “<em>I’ll see you on Friday</em>.”</p>
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<p>Oh yes, that's fine too. But we often leave out <em>on</em> with days of the week when we’re speaking.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I’ll see you Friday.</em></p>
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<p>OK. Now, about dates ... You write “<em>on 8th July</em>” but how do you say that?</p>
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<p>Good question! We say “<em>on the eighth of July</em>”.</p>
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<p>OK, so I have to remember to say “<em>on THE eighth OF July</em>”.</p>
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<p>Exactly.</p>
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<p>One last question about <em>in</em>. Can I use it for the future, as in “<em>I’ll do it <strong>in</strong> a minute</em>”?</p>
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<p>Yes, that’s very common. We use <em>in</em> for talking about something in the future a certain length of time from now.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>She’ll be back <strong>in a moment</strong>. <br />
We’re going away <strong>in two weeks</strong>. </em></p>
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<p>And can I say, “<em>We’re going away <strong>for</strong> two weeks</em>”?</p>
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<p>Yes, but the meaning is completely different.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>We’re going away <strong>in two weeks</strong>. (= we leave two weeks from now)<br />
We’re going away <strong>for two weeks</strong>. (= our holiday will be two weeks long)</em></p>
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<p>Ah, and what about “We’re going away <em>during</em> two weeks”?</p>
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<p>No, you can’t say that. We use <em>for</em> + <em>a length of time</em>, to say how long something goes on for, and <em>during</em> + <em>a noun</em> / <em>noun phrase</em>, to say when something happens.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>It snowed<strong> for</strong> three hours.<br />
It snowed <strong>during</strong> the night.</em></p>
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<p>OK, that’s a useful rule. But, hang on, I can also say “<em>It snowed <strong>in</strong> the night</em>”.</p>
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<p>Yes, absolutely.</p>
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<p>And: “<em>I did a lot of work<strong> in </strong>the holidays</em>” or “<em>I did a lot of work <strong>during</strong> the holidays</em>”?</p>
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<p>Yes, you’ve got the hang of this.</p>
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<p>Good, so now I’m going to study <em>for a few hours</em>. I’ll see you <em>on Tuesday</em>, <em>in the morning</em>, <em>at</em> about <em>10 o’clock</em>.</p>
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<p>See you at some time <em>during</em> the morning!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:53:17 +0000JoEditor1013 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnVerb + -ing or verb + infinitivehttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/verb-ing-or-verb-infinitive
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<label>Language </label>
English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/verb-ing-or-verb-infinitive_0.png?itok=3NHp53D0"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/verb-ing-or-verb-infinitive"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/verb-ing-or-verb-infinitive_0.png?itok=3NHp53D0" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>After certain verbs we use the -ing form, and after other verbs we use the infinitive. Sometimes we can use either form and there is no change in meaning. Occasionally we can use either form and there is a change in meaning.</strong></p>
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<p>So what’s the rule for whether we use the <em>-ing</em> form or the <em>infinitive</em>?</p>
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<p>Sorry, there isn’t a rule. You have to learn which verbs go with which pattern.</p>
<p>The verbs followed by <em>-ing </em>include <em>enjoy</em>, <em>mind</em>, <em>stop</em> and <em>recommend</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I told him you really <strong>enjoy cooking</strong>.<br />
Would you <strong>mind helping</strong> me?<br />
It didn't <strong>stop raining</strong> all day yesterday.<br />
Daisy <strong>recommends trying</strong> Alfie’s tiramisu.</em></p>
<p>The negative is <em>verb</em> + <em>not</em> + <em>-ing</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Imagine not having</strong> pizza! I eat it all the time.</em></p>
<p>Verbs usually followed by <em>-ing</em></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>stop finish imagine suggest recommend avoid mind miss risk enjoy </em></p>
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<p>I thought you could say: '<em>I recommend that you see that film'</em>?</p>
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<p>Yes, you’re right, you can. But we’re not looking at the more complex patterns with <em>that </em>or an object today.</p>
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<p>OK, what about the verbs followed by the infinitive?</p>
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<p>These include <em>decide</em>, <em>want</em>, <em>promise</em>, <em>plan</em> and <em>forget</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>She <strong>decided to go</strong> with Elliot instead.<br />
I <strong>wanted to visit</strong> Rome.<br />
She <strong>promised to take</strong> me there.<br />
I <strong>planned to go</strong> to some real Italian restaurants.<br />
She didn’t <strong>forget to phone</strong>.</em></p>
<p>The negative is <em>verb</em> + <em>not </em>+ <em>infinitive</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>They decided <strong>not to make</strong> pizza.</em></p>
<p>Here are more verbs that are usually followed by the infinitive:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>hope offer fail agree forget manage learn afford arrange ask expect would like decide plan promise want invite</em></p>
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<p>What about the verbs that can be followed by either form?</p>
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<p>These include <span> </span><span> </span><em>start</em><span> </span><span> </span>, <span> </span><em>begin</em><span> </span>, <em>continue</em> and <em>bo<span> </span>th<span> </span>er</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>It <strong>started raining</strong>. </em>or<em> It <strong>started to rain</strong>.<br />
Don’t <strong>bother waiting</strong> for me. </em>or<em> Don’t <strong>bother to wait</strong> for me.</em></p>
<p>The verbs <em>like</em>, <em>love</em> and <em>hate</em> can be followed by <em>-ing</em> or the <em>infinitive</em> when talking about <em>repeated actions</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I <strong>love reading</strong> long novels. </em> (British English or American English) <br /><em>I <strong>love to read</strong> long novels. </em>(American English)</p>
<p>But when we are talking about situations, we use the <em>-ing</em> form.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Paulo <strong>loves living</strong> by the beach in Rio.</em><br /><em>Do you <strong>like working </strong>as a waitress?</em></p>
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<p>So, '<em>I <strong>love learning</strong> grammar rules</em>' or '<em>I <strong>love to learn</strong> grammar rules</em>' are both OK?</p>
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<p>Exactly. But there are some more verbs which can be followed by <em>-ing</em> or the <em>infinitive</em>, but the two options have <em>different</em> meanings, for example <em>remember</em> and <em>stop</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I never r<strong>emember to lock </strong>the door, and my mum gets really angry!<br />
(remember + infinitive = </em>remember something and then do it<em>)<br />
I never <strong>remember locking </strong>the door, but when I go back and check I always have.<br />
(remember + -ing = </em>remember something you did before<em>)</em></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>She <strong>stopped smoking</strong> three years ago.<br />
(stop + -ing = </em>to not do something any more<em>)<br />
It was hot, so we <strong>stopped to have</strong> a drink. (we stopped walking)<br />
(stop + infinitive = </em>to not do something in order to do something else<em>)</em></p>
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<p>Let’s <em>stop to have</em> a rest now.</p>
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<p>OK, later on you can <em>try to remember</em> all the patterns.</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:25 +0000JoEditor1019 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnSome, any, every and nohttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/some-any-every-no
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/some-any-every-and-no.png?itok=vWyovHoR"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/some-any-every-no"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/some-any-every-and-no.png?itok=vWyovHoR" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use <em>some</em> and <em>any</em> for talking about indefinite numbers or amounts of things. We use them with nouns or on their own, as pronouns.</strong></p>
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<p>I know about <em>some</em> and <em>any</em>. You use <em>some </em>in positive sentences and <em>any </em>in questions and negatives, right?</p>
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<p>Well, yes, often.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>We've got <strong>some</strong> amazing chocolate cake, and <strong>some</strong> carrot cake.<br />
Have you got <strong>any</strong> chocolate cake?<br />
I haven't had <strong>any</strong> carrot cake for ages.</em></p>
<p>But we also use <em>any</em> in positive sentences.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Any</strong> cake will do. Surprise me.<br />
She can tell you everything about ... well, about <strong>anything</strong>!</em></p>
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<p>Oh, so what’s the rule?</p>
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<p>We use <em>some</em> for talking about <em>a limited number</em> or amount; and we use <em>any</em> for <em>an unlimited number</em> or amount. For example, imagine you are talking about different kinds of cake. All these sentences are possible:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>A I like <strong>any</strong> kind of cake. (= all kinds of cake, unlimited)<br />
B I <strong>don't</strong> like <strong>any</strong> kind of cake. (= 0 kinds of cake, unlimited)<br />
C I like <strong>some</strong> kinds of cake. (= a limited number of kinds of cake)<br />
D I <strong>don'</strong>t like<strong> some </strong>kinds of cake. (= a limited number of kinds of cake)</em></p>
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<p>OK, I think that’s clear. I like <em>any</em> kind of music. I don’t like <em>some </em>dogs.</p>
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<p>Yes, if you like all music and if you also like some dogs.</p>
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<p>Yes, I like most dogs, but not dogs that bite, or dogs that are ill.</p>
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<p>OK, then.</p>
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<p>And what about questions? Can we use both <em>some</em> and <em>any</em> in questions?</p>
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<p>Yes, we use <em>both</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Would you like <strong>some</strong> more coffee?<br />
Would you like <strong>any</strong> more to eat?</em></p>
<p>Here the difference is very small. The speaker is thinking of a limited amount in the first question, and an unlimited amount in the second question. In both questions we could use <em>some </em>or <em>any</em>.</p>
<p>Sometimes we use <em>some</em> when we expect the answer to be “yes”. We use <em>any</em> when we don’t know what the answer will be; we are asking whether something exists.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Can I have <strong>some</strong> sugar? (I know there’s some sugar)<br />
Is there <strong>any</strong> cake left? (I don’t know whether there’s any cake)<br />
Are you waiting for <strong>somebody</strong>? (I think you are)<br />
Is <strong>anybody</strong> coming to meet you? (I don’t know)</em></p>
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<p>Did you say we can use <em>some</em> and<em> any</em> on their own, as pronouns?</p>
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<p>Yes, we don’t need to repeat the noun.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Is there <strong>any</strong> cake?<br />
Yes, do you want <strong>some</strong>? / Sorry, there isn’t <strong>any</strong>. / Sorry, there’s <strong>none</strong> left.</em></p>
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<p>Ah,<em> none</em>. That’s new to me.</p>
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<p>Yes, we can use<strong> </strong><em><span> </span>none<strong><span> </span> </strong></em>or <em>no + noun</em> instead of <em>not any</em>.<span> </span></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Have we got <strong>any</strong> onions?<br />
No, there aren’t <strong>any</strong>. / There are <strong>none</strong> left.<br />
We haven’t got <strong>any </strong>money. = We have <strong>no money</strong>.</em></p>
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<p>What about <em>somebody</em>, <em>anybody</em>, <em>everybody</em> and <em>nobody</em>? Can you tell me more about how you use those words?</p>
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<p>Of course. <em>Somebody</em>/<em>anybody</em>/<em>nobody</em>/<em>everybody</em> are used as singular nouns, even though <em>everybody</em> refers to more than one person and <em>anybody</em> can mean more than one person.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I saw <strong>somebody</strong> outside the window. (= 1 person)<br />
There’s <strong>nobody</strong> there. (= 0 person)<br /><strong>Everybody</strong> knows that The Beatles were from Liverpool. (= all people)<br />
Has <strong>anybody</strong> seen my keys? (= 1+ people)</em></p>
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<p>Is <em>somebody</em> the same as <em>someone</em>?</p>
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<p>Yes, it’s the same. We also use:</p>
<p>People: someone - anyone - no one - everyone<br />
Things: something - anything - nothing - everything<br />
Places: somewhere - anywhere - nowhere - everywhere</p>
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<p>OK, I think that’s everything for today. I’ve got to go <em>somewhere</em> to meet <em>somebody</em>.</p>
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<p>You don’t want to ask <em>anything</em> else?</p>
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<p>No, thank you!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:40:17 +0000JoEditor1006 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnAdverbs of frequencyhttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/adverbs-frequency
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/adverbs-of-frequency_0.png?itok=azQNj1u2"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/adverbs-frequency"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/adverbs-of-frequency_0.png?itok=azQNj1u2" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use adverbs of frequency – like <em>sometimes</em> or <em>usually</em> – to say <em>how often</em> we do things, or <em>how often</em> things happen.</strong></p>
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<p>I never have any problems with adverbs of frequency.</p>
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<p>OK, let's see what you know. We use adverbs of frequency in this order, according to their meaning.</p>
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<table><tr><td>100%</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>0%</td>
</tr><tr><td>always</td>
<td>usually/normally</td>
<td>often</td>
<td>sometimes</td>
<td>occasionally</td>
<td>hardly ever</td>
<td>never</td>
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<p>Are there any missing?</p>
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<p>I think that’s most of them. You could include <em>frequently</em>, with<em> usually</em>. We use<em> not very often</em> too.</p>
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<p>Very good, you’re right. These are the most common adverbs, although there are more.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>They <strong>always</strong> hang out together.<br />
The Northern Lights are <strong>usually</strong> green.<br />
You <strong>normally</strong> see them best in September or March.<br />
It’s <strong>often</strong> cloudy.</em></p>
<p>What do you notice about the position of the adverbs?</p>
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<p>They are <em>usually before </em>the<em> main verb</em>, or between the auxiliary and the main verb. But they come <em>after </em>the verb<em> to be</em>.</p>
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<p>Excellent! Can they also be at the beginning or the end of the sentence?</p>
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<p>Yes, I think so. '<em>Sometimes I'm alone</em>.' That sounds OK.</p>
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<p>Yes, we can use some adverbs of frequency at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Occasionally</strong> I meet her for a coffee.</em></p>
<p>We can use <em>usually</em>, <em>often</em>, <em>sometimes</em> and <em>occasionally</em> at the beginning of a sentence, and <em>sometimes</em> and <em>often</em> at the end. We use adverb expressions like <em>a lot</em> or <em>not + (very) much</em> <em>after</em> the main verb too.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>She travels <strong>a lot</strong>.<br />
He does<strong>n’t</strong> study <strong>very much</strong>.</em></p>
<p>Be careful with <em>never</em>. It is already negative, so we <em>can’t</em> use it with <em>not</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I <strong>never</strong> go to the supermarket with my mother.</em></p>
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<p>I’ve just remembered some more expressions! What about <em>once a week</em>, <em>twice a year</em>, etc.?</p>
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<p>Oh yes, I’d forgotten about those.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Take the medicine <strong>three times a day</strong>.<br />
We <strong>usually</strong> go swimming <strong>twice a month</strong>.<br />
You see them <strong>once in a lifetime</strong>, if you travel.</em></p>
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<p>You see, I’m not <em>always</em> annoying.</p>
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<p>OK, sorry. I’m <em>not always</em> right either. <em>Usually</em>, but not <em>always</em>!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:18:00 +0000JoEditor1014 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnQuestion wordshttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/question-words
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/question-words.png?itok=AarnUiYl"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/question-words"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/question-words.png?itok=AarnUiYl" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use the question words <em>who</em> (for people), <em>what</em>/<em>which</em> (for things), <em>when</em> (for time), <em>where</em> (for places), <em>why</em> (for reasons) and <em>how</em> (for more details).</strong></p>
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<p>What do I need to know about question words?</p>
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<p>I know you know the basics, but questions are quite tricky. Let’s just go over the main rules.</p>
<p>We usually form questions by putting an <em>auxiliary verb</em>, or a <em>modal verb</em>, <em>before the subject</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Does</strong> it suit me?<br /><strong>Has</strong> Mum called?<br /><strong>Can</strong> you get the tea?<br /><strong>Shall</strong> I pass you to Oliver?</em></p>
<p>When the verb 'to be' is the <em>main verb</em>, we <em>don’t use auxiliary verbs</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Is</strong> Oliver there?<br /><strong>Was</strong> it good?</em></p>
<p>We can add <em>question words</em> to get more or different information.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Where</strong> did you go swimming? &gt; In the swimming pool in town.<br /><strong>Why</strong> did you go there? &gt; Because it’s a nice, big pool.<br /><strong>Who</strong> did you go swimming with? &gt; With Amy.<br /><strong>What</strong> time did you meet Amy? &gt; At 10 o’clock.<br /><strong>Which</strong> pool did you go in? &gt; The serious one, without the slides!<br /><strong>How</strong> did you get there? &gt; On the bus.</em></p>
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<p>I see that questions sometimes finish with prepositions.</p>
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<p>Yes, that’s very common.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Who were you out <strong>with</strong>?<br />
What have you got that bag <strong>for</strong>?<br />
What’s all that <strong>about</strong>?<br />
Where are you calling <strong>from</strong>?</em></p>
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<p>OK, that all seems straightforward.</p>
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<p>Yes, but do you know about <span> </span><em>subject</em><span> </span> and <em>object questions</em>?<span> </span></p>
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<p>Sorry?</p>
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<p>If <em>who</em>, <em>what</em> or <em>which</em> is the <em>subject </em>of the question, it comes <em>before</em> the verb and we <em>don’t use do</em> as an auxiliary.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Who</strong> went out for curry? (subject – who)<br /><strong>What</strong> happened? (subject – what)<br /><strong>Which</strong> looks better, this or that one? (subject – which)</em></p>
<p><em>Object</em> questions follow the structure we looked at before.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>Who</strong> did <strong>you</strong> go out for curry with? (subject – you; object – who)<br /><strong>Which</strong> restaurant does <strong>Oliver</strong> like most? (subject – Oliver; object – which)<br /><strong>What</strong> did <strong>they</strong> do after the restaurant? (subject – they; object – what)</em></p>
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<p>I think I understand …</p>
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<p>Here’s a little test for you, then. A cat killed a mouse and a dog killed the cat.</p>
<p>1 What killed the mouse?<br />
2 What did the cat kill?<br />
3 What killed the cat?<br />
4 What did the dog kill?</p>
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<p>OK, 1 the cat, 2 the mouse, 3 the dog, 4 the cat. Right?</p>
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<p>Exactly! You’ve got it.</p>
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<p>Any more tricky things about question words?</p>
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<p>Well in <em>reported speech</em> or <em>indirect questions,</em> question words come in the middle of sentences. In these types of sentence, the word order <em>does not</em> change. We <em>don’t</em> put the verb <em>to be</em> before the subject or use an auxiliary to form a question, as in a normal question:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I asked her <strong>what </strong>she was doing at the weekend. <br />
Do you know <strong>where</strong> the post office is?<br />
Can you tell me <strong>how much </strong>it costs?</em></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>What</strong> are you doing at the weekend?<br /><strong>Where</strong> is the post office?<br /><strong>How much</strong> does it cost?</em></p>
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<p>Hmm, why do you use indirect questions if they are more complicated?</p>
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<p>Well, they are more polite, especially if you are talking to a stranger.</p>
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<p>OK, I’ll remember to say: '<em>Do you know where the post office is</em>?'</p>
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<p>Good. Can you make that even more polite?</p>
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<p>How about: '<em>Excuse me, could you tell me where the post office is, please?'</em></p>
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<p>Fine! That’ll do. Do you really need a post office?!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:05:56 +0000JoEditor1010 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnPersonal pronouns and possessiveshttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/personal-pronouns-possessives
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/personal-pronouns-and-possessives.png?itok=orgfo0Pk"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/personal-pronouns-possessives"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/personal-pronouns-and-possessives.png?itok=orgfo0Pk" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use <em>personal pronouns</em> (<em>I</em>, <em>me</em>, <em>he</em>, <em>him</em>, etc.) to replace names or nouns when it is clear what they refer to. We use <em>possessives</em> (<em>my</em>, <em>your</em>, <em>her</em>) when it is not necessary to name the person the thing belongs to.</strong><br />
</p>
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<p>We use <em>personal pronouns</em> to avoid repeating nouns.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><span> </span><em>Mum's calling. <strong>She</strong>’s <span> </span>in Turkey.<br />
How’s <strong>Daisy</strong>? Give <strong>her</strong> my love.</em> </p>
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<p>You used <strong>she</strong> because it’s the <em>subject</em> and <strong>her</strong> because it’s the object.</p>
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<p>Very good. Here’s the list of all the personal pronouns and possessive adjectives:<br />
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<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:500px"><tr><td><strong>Subject pronoun</strong></td>
<td><strong>Object pronoun</strong></td>
<td><strong>Possessive adjective</strong></td>
<td><strong>Possessive pronoun</strong></td>
</tr><tr><td>I</td>
<td>me</td>
<td>my</td>
<td>mine</td>
</tr><tr><td>you</td>
<td>you</td>
<td>your</td>
<td>yours</td>
</tr><tr><td>he</td>
<td>him</td>
<td>his</td>
<td>his</td>
</tr><tr><td>she</td>
<td>her</td>
<td>her</td>
<td>hers</td>
</tr><tr><td>it</td>
<td>it</td>
<td>its</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr><tr><td>we</td>
<td>us</td>
<td>our</td>
<td>ours</td>
</tr><tr><td>they</td>
<td>them</td>
<td>their</td>
<td>theirs</td>
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<p>We use <em>pronouns</em> to avoid repetition when it is obvious what we are talking about.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>Is this <strong>your </strong>bike? &gt; No, that one’s <strong>mine</strong>. (= my bike)<br />
Those red gloves are <strong>yours</strong>; the blue ones are <strong>hers</strong>. (= her gloves)</em></p>
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<p>Can I use two pronouns together?</p>
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<p>Yes, for example:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>The man in the shop gave <strong>me them</strong> free.</em></p>
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<p>So, what do I need to be careful about?</p>
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<p>Well, sometimes we use <em>me</em> when it might seem logical to use<strong> <em>I</em></strong>. We also use <em>it </em>sometimes to refer to people.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px">I<em> love house music &gt; I do too / <strong>Me</strong> too.</em><br /><em>Who’s that? &gt; <strong>Me</strong>. / It’s <strong>me</strong>. / It’s Fran</em>.</p>
<p>Sometimes we use <em>they</em> instead of <em>he</em> or <em>she</em>, <em>them</em> instead of <em>him</em> or <em>her</em> and <em>their</em> instead of <em>his</em> or <em>hers</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>When you meet your new teacher, <strong>they</strong> will give you the books. </em><br /><em>If anyone asks where I am, tell <strong>them</strong> I’m in Istanbul this week.<br />
Someone left <strong>their</strong> gloves in the classroom.</em></p>
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<p>I thought<em> someone</em> was singular.</p>
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<p>Yes, you’re right, but nowadays we avoid using <em>he</em> for people in general, and <em>he or she</em> is very long, so we use <em>they </em>instead, especially when we’re speaking.</p>
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<p>Can you also say:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>“The English cricket team lost again. <strong>They</strong><span> </span> were rubbish.”?</em><span> </span></p>
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<p>Yes. We sometimes use <em>they </em>for single nouns which refer to groups of people.</p>
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<p>What about animals?</p>
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<p>We usually use <em>it/they</em><span> </span> for animals, but<span> </span> when people are talking about their own pets, they use <span> </span><em>he</em><span> </span> or <em>she</em>.<span> </span></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>The dog must be thirsty. Give <strong>him</strong> some water.</em></p>
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<p>Yes, one thinks that animals are just like people, doesn’t one?</p>
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<p>Ah, we don’t use <em>one</em> to mean <em>everyone</em> very much. It sounds very old-fashioned and too formal. We use <em>you</em> to mean people in general.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>You</strong> can see the sea from the top of that mountain. (you = people in general)</em></p>
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<p>But the Queen uses <em>one</em>?</p>
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<p>That's true. But, I haven’t met the Queen and <em>you</em> should use <em>you</em>!</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:56:18 +0000JoEditor1012 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnHave to, must and should for obligation and advicehttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/have-must-should-obligation-advice
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/have-to-must-and-should.png?itok=fnzoeRn6"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/have-must-should-obligation-advice"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/have-to-must-and-should.png?itok=fnzoeRn6" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We use <em>have to</em> /<em> must</em> /<em> should</em> <em>+ infinitive</em> to talk about obligation, things that are necessary to do, or to give advice about things that are a good idea to do.</strong></p>
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<p><em>Mus</em>t and<em> have to</em> are both used for obligation and are often quite similar. They are both followed by the infinitive.</p>
<p><em>I <strong>must go</strong> now. / I <strong>have to go</strong> now.</em></p>
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<p>Are these exactly the same?</p>
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<p>Well, almost. We often use <em>must</em> for more personal opinions about what it is necessary to do, and <em>have to</em> for what somebody in authority has said it is necessary to do.</p>
<p><em>I <strong>must </strong>remember to get a present for Daisy. </em> (my opinion) <br /><em>You <strong>have to</strong> look after their hair regularly. </em> (dog experts say so)<br /><em>Do you<strong> have to</strong> wear a tie for school? </em> (asking about school rules)</p>
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<p>Which verb do people use more?</p>
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<p><em>Have to</em> is more frequent in conversation;<em> must</em> is used more in formal writing, for example in written notices.</p>
<p><em>Passengers <strong>must</strong> fasten their seat-belts.</em></p>
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<p>Do they change in form for<em> I</em>,<em> you</em>, <em>he</em>,<em> she</em>, etc.?</p>
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<p><em>Hav</em>e changes in the third person singular (<em>he/she/it has</em>); but<em> must</em> doesn’t change. It’s a modal verb and modals don’t change.</p>
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<p>I think I’ve heard<em> have got to</em>. Is that correct?</p>
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<p>Yes, we use both<em> have got to</em>, for obligation, and <em>had better</em>, for advice, a lot in speaking.<br />
<br /><em>You<strong>'ve got to</strong> be careful with a cat<br />
You<strong>'d better</strong> get something a bit quieter.<br />
I<strong>'d better</strong> go – I mustn't miss the helicopter! </em> </p>
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<p>So they’re not used in formal writing?</p>
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<p>No. There’s something very important about<em> must</em> and<em> have to</em>. The positive forms are very similar in meaning, but the negative forms are completely different.</p>
<p><em>You<strong> mustn’t</strong> forget ...</em><br />
(don’t forget - you have no choice)<br /><em>If you don't like him, you <strong>don't have to</strong> see him again.</em><br />
(there is no obligation to see him again, but you have a choice)</p>
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<p>Umm, I’m still a bit confused ...</p>
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<p>Here's an example you can remember:<br /><em>In a non-smoking area you<strong> mustn’t smoke,</strong> but in a smoking area you <strong>don’t have to smoke</strong> but you can if you want to.</em></p>
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<p>Ah! Right, I<em> mustn’t </em>forget that.</p>
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<p>No, you <em>mustn’t</em>! OK, let’s look at advice, telling people what you think is a good idea. We use<em> should</em> for advice, or making suggestions, and <em>must</em> for strong advice.</p>
<p><em>You<strong> must</strong> go for a walk with the dog at least once a day.<br />
Maybe you<strong> should</strong> go for a coffee or lunch and see how you feel?<br />
You<strong> shouldn't</strong> leave it on the street.</em></p>
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<p>I think I’ve heard people use<em> should</em> in other ways, like '<em>he<strong> should</strong> be here in a minute'</em> – that’s not advice, is it?</p>
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<p>No, that’s talking about what is likely or probable. We’ll look at that use another day. We use modal verbs in different ways.</p>
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<p>I see. So I<em> should</em> think about one use at a time.</p>
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<p>Yes, exactly. You<em> mustn’t</em> get confused by too many uses at once.</p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:19:51 +0000JoEditor1016 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnComparative and superlative adjectiveshttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/comparative-superlative-adjectives
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/comparative-and-superlative-adjectives.png?itok=rmsBEtV4"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/comparative-superlative-adjectives"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/comparative-and-superlative-adjectives.png?itok=rmsBEtV4" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>When we want to compare two or more things, we can change the form of adjectives by adding <em>–er </em>or <em>–est</em>. We can also use extra words like <em>more</em> or <em>most</em> and expressions like <em>not as … as</em>.</strong></p>
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<p>Here are some examples:</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I think you're <strong>taller </strong>than me. </em>(tall)<br /><em>She's the <strong>tall</strong></em><strong>est</strong><em> in the group. </em>(tall)<br /><em>The pizzas in La Bella Napoli are <strong>better</strong> than the ones in Pietro's. </em>(good)<br /><em>It was the <strong>best</strong> pizza I've ever had! </em>(good)<br /><em>People say Bioshock is a <strong>more exciting</strong> game than Skyrim.</em> (exciting)<br /><em>Grand Theft Auto is the <strong>most exciting</strong> video game. </em>(exciting)</p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)">Mmm, I don't quite see what the rule is here.</span></p>
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<p>With most one-syllable adjectives, we add <em>–er</em> or <em>–</em><em>est</em>, and with most adjectives with two syllables or more, we add <em>more</em> or (the) <em>most</em>. In comparatives, we also use <em>than</em> before the second thing which is compared, if it is mentioned.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>La Bella Napoli is <strong>nearer </strong>than Pietro's. </em>(near)<br /><em>It's not <strong>the cheapest </strong>restaurant though. </em>(cheap)</p>
<p>With one-syllable adjectives ending in vowel + consonant, remember to <em>double</em> the final consonant <em>before –er/</em><em>–</em><em>est</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>b<strong>ig </strong></em>→<em><strong> </strong>bi<strong>gg</strong>er </em>→ <em>bi<strong>gg</strong>est</em></p>
<p>If the adjective ends in <em>–e</em>, just add <em>–r </em>or <em>–</em><em>st</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>larg<strong>e</strong> </em>→ <em>large<strong>r </strong></em>→ <em>large<strong>st</strong></em></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)">So what are the exceptions, apart from <em>good </em></span>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> better </em></span>→<span style="color:#800080"><em> best</em>?</span></p>
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<p>Other exceptions are <em>bad </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em> worse </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em> worst</em> and <em>far </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em> further/farther </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em> furthest/farthest</em>.</p>
<p><em> </em> <em>They use <strong>the worst</strong> cheese.</em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">What about adjectives ending in <em>–y</em>, like <em>crazy</em>? <em>My brother is crazier than me</em>.</span></p>
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<p>Yes, that's correct. With adjectives ending in <em>y</em>, you change the<em> y</em> to <em>i</em> and add <em>er/ est</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>luck<strong>y</strong><strong> </strong></em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em>luck<strong>ier</strong><strong> </strong></em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em>luck<strong>iest</strong><strong> </strong> happ<strong>y</strong> </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em>happ<strong>ier</strong> </em>→<span style="color:rgb(128, 0, 128)"><em> </em></span><em>happ<strong>iest</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>They've got <strong>the friendliest</strong> waiters!</em></p>
<p>With most adjectives with typical adjective endings, and with two or more syllables, you use <em>more/most + </em>adjective.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>They do <strong>the most disgusting</strong> pasta I've ever tasted.</em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">What other ways of comparing things are there?</span></p>
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<p>We often use <em>not as … as</em>.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em>I'm <strong>not as </strong>tall </em><strong>as</strong> <em>you. (= </em>I'm smaller than you<em>)<br />
Maybe the pizza at La Bella Napoli is<strong>n't as </strong>good <strong>as </strong>I remember.<span> </span></em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">And what about <em>less</em> and <em>least</em>?</span></p>
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<p>Yes, <em>less</em> and <em>least</em> are also ways of comparing things. They are used more in writing.</p>
<p><em>It is <strong>less</strong> cold in the north of the country <strong>than </strong>in the south. </em>(the north is warmer, but both north and south are cold)<br /><em>Of the four participants, Bill is <strong>the least </strong>experienced.</em> (the other three have more experience)</p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">OK, this isn't as hard as I thought. I think I've got it, more or less.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:24:44 +0000JoEditor464 at http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cnThere is / There are and Ithttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/grammar/beginner-grammar/there-there-are-it
<div class="form-item form-type-item">
<label>Language </label>
English
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/there-is-there-are-and-it.png?itok=fN8VmG-W"><a href="/grammar/beginner-grammar/there-there-are-it"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.cn/sites/teens/files/styles/medium/public/field/image/there-is-there-are-and-it.png?itok=fN8VmG-W" width="220" height="125" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-0">Grammar</span><span class="hierarchical-select-item-separator">›</span><span class="lineage-item lineage-item-level-1">Beginner grammar</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Body:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><strong>We often use <em>there + to be</em> and <em>It </em>… as a subject but they do not refer to any object. <em>There is / are</em> is used to introduce a topic, or say that something exists. <em>It</em> … is often used for the weather, time and distance.</strong></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">Can I have some examples of <em>there is /</em> <em>there are</em>, please?</span></p>
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<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>There's</strong> so much happening.<br /><strong>Is there</strong> anything much going on at the moment?<br /><strong>There are </strong>two new students in our class.<br /><strong>There aren't</strong> any good football matches on TV this week.</em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">What about other tenses? Is <em>there is</em> / <em>there are</em> only used in the present?</span></p>
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<p>No, you can change the tense.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>There were</strong> fire-breathing dragons in the streets.<br /><strong>Were there</strong> any accidents?<br />
I think <strong>there'll be</strong> loads of people at the festival.<br /><strong>There haven't been </strong>many entries for the competition.</em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">I'm a bit confused about when to use<strong> </strong><em>there is / there are</em> and when to use <em>it </em>or <em>they</em>.</span></p>
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<p>Have a look at these sentences. The topic is introduced with <em>there is / are</em>, then <em>it</em> and <em>they </em>refer back to something already mentioned.</p>
<p style="margin-left:40px"><em><strong>There's </strong>a good film on channel 2. <strong>It</strong> starts at 10 o'clock. (It = the film)<br /><strong>There are</strong> two new students in our class. <strong>They're</strong> from Brazil. (They = the students)</em></p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">So you can't use <em>it</em> or <em>they</em> as subjects in the first sentences?</span></p>
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<p>No, you can't.</p>
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<p><span style="color:#800080">OK, but you can start some sentences with it, can't you? Like